Find out what happened when the world’s top sushi chefs battled it out to decide the best of the best

Sushi’s Greatest Accolade

The honour of being named one of the Seven Sushi Samurai is great in itself, but it is the thought of being deemed the winner of the prestigious Sushi of the Year Awards – the crowning glory of the international sushi calendar – which really motivates the Seven Sushi Samurai to come up with more and more wonderful pieces of sushi every year. After tasting all seven original sushi creations, judges and guests vote to decide who is to win the award. This ensures that all elements of the dish – taste, appearance, technical skill, and its appeal to both professionals and the public alike – are fully considered, and that the award goes to truly the most deserving chef. All of the Sushi Samurai who take part are at the pinnacle of their profession, so it really takes something quite special to capture the edge over the other eager contestants.

Creative Innovation, Ecological Inspiration

This year, that edge was captured by Mitsunori Kusakabe, a largely self-trained sushi genius who has honed his skills across the world, holds the 6th American Sushi Skills trophy, and is currently enthralling customers at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Sushi Ran, in California, USA. Not afraid to take risks with his entry, Kusakabe designed an ingenious sushi dish entitled Seven “Rice” Samurai – ecology that featured only one ingredient – rice. Whilst sushi professionals are unanimous in their belief that the success or failure of any sushi rests on the quality and flavour of its rice, it remains an oft-forgotten element. Kusakabe’s brave decision to make his dish entirely out of rice succeeded in bringing everyone’s attention to the central role of rice in sushi, as well as the diverse and delicious ways in which it can be prepared.
But there was another message behind his dish too – with environmental concerns growing across the globe, Kusakabe’s emphasis on using each part of the rice, from the seedling to the grain, with nothing discarded or left to waste in the cooking process, was a timely reminder of how important it is to be respectful of our earth’s limited resources. The seven methods used to prepare the rice – fermentation, frying, toasting, sautéing, roasting, freezing and extraction – also served to show off Kusakabe’s prodigious skills as a chef.

Rice as the Heart of the Sushi

As Kusakabe himself puts it, “the Japanese eat rice everyday – it’s the cornerstone of our food culture. So I wanted to see if I could come up with a sushi that demonstrated all aspects of this most important of ingredients”. He certainly impressed both the gathered members of the public and the judging panel, who were quick to heap praise upon the winning entry, describing it variously as “gorgeous”, “outstanding” and “technically brilliant.” Nick Vadis perhaps best summed up its charm, saying “I didn’t realize rice could be so interesting – texture, flavour, heat, crunch, everything wrapped up in one small parcel. Amazing.”

 

Comments from the 2008 Judging Panel

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